Experts weigh benefits and disadvantages of store-bought vitamins and supplements

ALBANY -- At this time of year especially, a healthy diet is last on our to-do list and first among our resolutions. To make up for this, we add vitamins and supplements to our grocery list without always thinking of the benefits, disadvantages and alternatives.

"We need vitamins, but how we get them is another story," said Nina Marinello, who has a Ph.D. in molecular biology and a bachelor's degree in nutrition. She's University at Albany's coordinator of sports nutrition and an adjunct professor of nutrition at the Sage Colleges.

In a perfect world --with all the time in the world to cook nutritious meals and without tight food budgets and multiple children to feed -- all nutrients would be absorbed into the body through food and not manufactured products. But, this is not a perfect world, and a 2003 New York Times article reported that as many as 70 percent of Americans take supplements, usually vitamins.

The main drawback to taking vitamins and supplements is that they are heavily relied on and give the vitamin-takers a false sense of security, said Marinello and her colleague, Sonya Irish Hauser, who is a professor in the Sage Colleges' nutrition department.

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"The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. It's better to have a whole, healthy diet than to take a multivitamin and supplements," said Irish Hauser, adding that having a diet with variety is the best way to get all the food groups and all the nutrients associated with each food group.

The apple-a-day approach, for example, may not keep the doctor away at all. Instead, it might be better to have each week an apple, a banana, a mango and an orange.

Different vitamins serve different purposes: Vitamin D helps with hormone production and is found in eggs, fortified milk and sunlight; vitamin B helps derive energy from food; vitamin B12 is necessary for processing fats and proteins and is found in animal products; and vitamin C, in citric fruits, is rich in antioxidants.

"Nature has worked it out so you don't get too much of anything when taken in food," Marinello said, noting it is still important when taking vitamins to have a full stomach.

Then there's the whole other can of worms, so to speak, with supplements like fish oil, calcium, iron and amino acids. Calcium is vital for older women since it is essential for bone health. Iron should not be taken unless you know your iron level is low, or if you are a growing teenager. And fish oil, found in some greens, has beneficial Omega-3 fatty acids.

But, in the case of fish oils and, in a way, with the other supplements, there are varying grades.

"Fish oil is extremely good for you but you need to know what you're buying," Irish Hauser said.

She referred to the grades of fish oil, but also discussed the importance of knowing the source of the supplements in general.

Marinello, who buys Centrum multivitamins, said, "Never buy vitamins from the counter at the Mobile station."

While Marinello errs on the side of purchasing brand names, Irish Hauser said it is important to buy vitamins or supplements from well-known pharmacy companies.

"Not everything is absorbed, so there is the expression that you pee very expensive urine," Marinello said.

For people who cannot afford vitamins, she recommended eating food like beans since they are high in nutrients.

Still, others feel that this same nutrition could be obtained in other ways.

"We're in a health crisis," said Dr. Craig Wehrenberg, a board-certified atlas orthogonist, or chiropractor. He also specializes in nutritional cleansing.

He and his colleague, Susan Minaha, who is a nutritional cleansing coach, said cleansing the impurities released in the body can shed fat. As in Minahan's case, she lost 45 pounds and 45 inches in four months.

They say there are high levels of pesticides in non-organically grown food products and even contaminants in water and air, like pollutions. Because of this, they feel eating healthy is not enough anymore.

Marinello and Irish Hauser don't entirely agree, though.

"I've heard of all the untraditional things out there. Are they all harmful? I don't think so. Are they all helpful? I don't think so," Marinello said.

In their opinions, the best option is a varied, healthy, consistently balanced diet.